THE  REJECTED  OFFEHINC. 


S E R M 0 N 

BEFORK  THF. 

FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY 

OF 

NEW-YORK  AND  BROOKLYN, 


REV.  M.  S.  HUTTON,  D.  U.. 

PASTOR  or  THE  REFORMED  DUTCH  CHURCH  OX  WASHINGTON  PEACE, 
NEW- YORK. 


WITH  THE 

EKPORTS  OF  THE  SECRETARY  AND  TREASURER. 


}^EW-YORK ; 

ALMO.X  MKKAVIX,  BIBLE  HOT'SE,  Ai^TOU  PLACE. 


THE  REJECTED  OFFERING. 


A 


SERMON 

f DI-M.IVKRKI)  nKKol'F  THE 

F0EEI6N  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY 

or 

NEW-YORK  AND  BROOKLYN, 

MARCH  27  AND  APRIL  3,  1853. 


BY 

REV.  M.  S.  HUTTON,  D.  D.. 

PASTOR  OF  THK  REFORMED  DUTCH  CHURCH  ON  WASHINGTON  PLACE, 
NEW-TOKK. 


bs  tf)e  ^octets. 


NEW- YORK : 

ALMOJf  MERWIN,  BIBLE  HOUSE,  ASTOR  PLACE. 

1858. 


JOHN  A CRAY. 

P R I N T K n , 

95  and  97  (;ii(T  Street,  N.  T. 


S E R MON. 


UALACEt  I.  10. 

“ I have  no  pleasure  in  you,  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts,  neither  will  I acccjit  an 
offering  at  your  hand.’’ 

These  words  immediately  precede  one  of  the  richest 
promises  of  the  grace  of  God  to  the  Gentile  world. 
They  are  addressed  to  the  Jewish  Church,  and  are  a 
prediction  of  their  abandonment  by  God  as  his  peculiar 
people.  “ Neither  will  I accept  an  oifering  at  your 
hands.  For  from  the  rising  of  the  sun  even  unto 
the  going  down  of  the  same,  my  name  shall  be  great 
among  the  Gentiles.” 

It  is  thus  throughout  the  prophetic  writings.  We 
find  the  predicted  casting  ofi“  of  the  Jews  generally,  if 
not  always,  followed  by  a promise  respecting  the  future 
call  of  the  Gentiles.  It  would  seem  as  if  God  intended 
by  this  to  provoke  his  people  to  jealousy,  in  order  that 
he  might  arouse  them  to  repentance,  and  to  return  to 
him. 

But  these  threatenings  were  not  heeded,  and  at 
length  they  were  executed.  God  would  no  more  ac- 


4 


cept  an  offering  from  his  ancient  people ; and,  as  Paul 
expresses  it,  the  fall  of  the  Jews  became  the  riches  of 
the  world,  and  the  diminishing  of  them  the  riches  of 
the  Gentiles. 

These  events  are  here  predicted  under  the  figure  of 
the  sacrifices  which  God  had  ordained ; and  as  the 
acceptance  of  the  Gentile  ofterings  was  the  greatest 
blessing  which  could  be  bestowed  on  them,  so  the  re- 
fusal to  accept  the  offering  of  the  Jews  was  the  greatest 
calamity  which  God  could  inflict  on  them.  The  pesti- 
lence and  the  famine  which  He  sent  upon  his  ancient 
people  were  indeed  sad  and  fearful  inflictions ; but  they 
were  the  chastisements  of  a kind  Father.  It  was  a fearful 
judgment  to  allow  the  tread  of  an  hostile  barbarian  to 
pollute  the  courts  of  their  sacred  temple,  to  permit  him 
to  desecrate  and  rob  the  altar  of  God,  and  to  carry  the 
people  into  captivity.  We  wonder  not  that  they  sat 
down  and  wept  by  the  waters  of  Babylon ; but  there 
was  hope  in  that  punishment ; God  allowed  his  exiled 
children  to  offer  their  morning  and  evening  sacrifices, 
and  to  observe  the  solemn  fasts.  But  in  the  sentence, 
“ I will  not  accept  an  offering  at  your  hands,”  there  v'as 
no  hope ; this  was  a calamity  and  a woe,  than  AV'hich 
notie  could  be  greater  in  this  world. 

It  is  in  this  light  that  I desire  to  consider  the  text, 
and  to  apply  the  thought  to  the  efforts  and  the  sacri- 
fices which  the  Lord  Jesus  calls  upon  his  people  to 
make,  and  allows  them  to  present,  in  behalf  of  his 
cause  and  kingdom. 

The  privilege,  the  duty,  the  advantages,  and  the 
noble  motives  which  belong  to  the  missionary  cause. 


have  been  often  and  clearly  presented ; and  I have 
deemed  that,  by  this  negative  presentation  of  the  sub- 
ject, I might  not  only  increase  the  zeal  of  the  people  of 
God,  but  might  dispei*se  from  some  minds  the  clouds 
of  despondency  which  at  times  rest  upon  them. 

There  are  some  who,  I trust,  are  good  men,  who, 
moved  by  tlie  sorrows  seen  around  them,  feel,  and  utter 
the  feeliug,  AVe  need  not  to  be  so  anxious  to  send  the 
gospel  to  the  perishing  heathen ; there  are  sorrows  and 
sufferings  in  our  own  land,  and  at  our  own  doors,  to 
absorb  all  our  charities,  ai;d  *u^e  should  attend  to  these. 
This  is  also  the  common  objection  of  infidelity,  and  it  is 
certainly  plausible.  Othere,  again,  whose  hearts  are 
really  in  the  work,  and  whose  sympathies  are  enlisted 
in  behalf  of  the  heathen,  as  they  have  contemplated 
the  far-off’  and  lone  missionaries,  surrounded  by  the 
darkness  and  degradation  of  heathenism ; as  they  have 
seen  them  laboring  for  years  to  understand  and  sj^eak 
the  language  of  the  couhtry,  and  then,  perchance,  have 
seen  health  and  strength  failiug,  just  as  they  are  pre- 
pared for  usefulness — they  have  been  ready  to  ask. 
Does  not  the  little  good  done  cost  too  much  ? ISior  can 
it  be  denied  that  there  is  in  this,  at  first  view,  a sad 
mysteriousness,  at  which  our  wavering  and  easily  dis- 
couraged faith  is  too  apt  to  stagger.  I cannot  deny 
that  I have  felt,  in  certain  cases,  sympathy  with  such 
trains  of  thought,  especially  in  the  case  of  the  personal 
friend,  the  refined,  enlightened,  and  delicately  trained 
female  missionary,  whose  usefulness  at  home  I knew  to 
be  great,  as  I have  read  the  breathings  of  her  fond 
heart,  as  her  thoughts  turned  to  her  once-loved  home 


6 


left  for  ever,  and  on  wliicli  there  settled  a cloud  of  sad- 
ness from  the  moment  that  the  circle  was  broken  by  her 
departure ; and  then,  when  I have  heard  of  her  early 
death,  or  of  some  peculiar  trial  which  interfered  with 
her  usefhlness,  and  seemed  to  have  made  her  sacrifice  of 
no  avail,  I have  been  ready  to  ask.  Did  she  do  wisely  in 
becoming  a missionary  ? Does  God  ask  this  ? Does 
the  Church  do  right  in  accepting  such  a sacrifice? 
Have  not  parents  and  brothers  and  sisters  been  called 
on  to  do  too  much  when  they  give  up  their  loved  one, 
the  light  of  their  dwelling,*  fqr  the  benefit  of  the  care- 
less, thankless  heathen  ? 

But  when,  on  the  other  hand,  I have  thought  of  the 
sacrifice  and  love  of  Jesus  for  these  very  heathen — 
when  I have  seen  how  that  love  was  shed  abroad  over 
the  heart  of  the  missionary  — how  her  consolations 
abounded  in  the  midst  of  her  trial — how  her  separa- 
tion from  early  and  earthly  friends  knit  her  soul  the 
more  closely  to  Jesus — when  I llfive  read  of  her  peace- 
ful and  triumphant  death,  and  have  thought  of  her  pre- 
sent joy  at  the  feet  of  Jesus,  and  of  the  glorious  crown 
which  will  hereafter  encircle  her  youthful  and  radiant 
brow — then  have  I realized  the  infinitude  of  her  gain, 
and  felt  that  these  light  afflictions  were  of  no  weight  in 
comparison  with  the  joy ; and  I could  almost  adopt  the 
lano:ua2:e  of  her  who,  when  told  that  her  loved  and 
younger  missionary  sister  slept  in  Jesus,  exclaimed,  “I 
wish  her  joy;”  and  then^  too,  I have  felt  how  great  a 
deprivation  and  loss  it  would  be,  Avere  God  to  say  to 
his  people,  “ I need  not  your  labors  of  love ; I have  no 
pleasure  in  you,  neither  will  I accept  an  offering  at  your 


7 


hand  ” Then  have  I felt  that  no  expression  of  the 
anger  of  my  God  would  he  more  terrible  than  to  forbid 
his  people’s  ofterings  — that  the  most  overwhelming 
mark  of  his  displeasure  would  be  to  shut  up  my  heart 
from  giving  to  his  cause  and  kingdom,  and  thus  say  to 
me : “ No  stone  shalt  thou  lay  in  my  temple ; thy  ofter- 
ings shall  not  beautify  heaven,  nor  make  its  music 
louder  and  sweeter  by  bringing  souls  into  it.” 

This,  then,  is  my  position  drawn  from  the  text : The 
greatest  curse  in  this  life  which  God  could  injiict  would 
he  to  deny  his  'people  the  pleasure  and  the  privdege  of 
advanciny  his  cause  and  Jdngdom. 

For,  1st,  Such  a prohibition  would  prevent  them 
from  conferring  any  real  favor  upon  their  fellow-men. 
The  missionary  enterprise  associates  us  with  the  des- 
tinies of  an  immortal  existence ; the  results  at  which  it 
aims  lie  above  and  beyond  this  world,  and  reach  on- 
ward through  the  ages  of  eternity.  It  does,  indeed, 
effect,  more  than  any  other  instrumentality,  the  im- 
provement of  men’s  condition  in  this  life ; but  this  is 
only  an  incidental  good — the  great,  the  ultimate,  the 
only  desirable  object,  is  to  bring  them  under  an  influ- 
ence for  heaven  which  will  enlighten  and  purify  their 
souls,  restore  them  to  the  knowledge  and  friendship  of 
God,  and  prepare  them  for  a deathless  existence  beyond 
the  grave.  Now,  were  we  excluded  from  exerting  any 
favorable  influence  upon  men,  as  immortal  and  overliv- 
ing beings,  even  supposing  we  did  confer  temj)oral  good, 
it  would  necessarily  be  short-lived  and  transitory,  and 
therefore  of  but  little  real  value  in  itself.  But  even 
this  might  be  esteemed  a privilege  if  there  were  not 


8 


evils  connected  with  it ; but,  my  bearers,  a gift  which 
is  forbidden  to  lead  to  God,  which  is  not  allowed  to 
make  the  receiver  grateful  to  God,  which  is  to  exert  no 
good  influence  upon  the  eternal  destinies  of  men,  neces- 
sarily exerts  an  opposite  and  baleful  influence  upon 
creatures  constituted  as  we  are.  It  would  lead  away 
from  God,  and  would  thus  produce  eternal  unhappiness 
in  return  for  any  temporal  good  which  it  might  bestow. 
Trade  and  commerce  are  important  elements  in  human 
happiness ; but  if  the  bestowal  of  them  cause  men  to 
lose  their  souls,  could  they  be  regarded  as  real  bless- 
ings ? It  is  a blessing  to  prolong  a man’s  life ; but  if 
prolonging  life  increase  the  woe  of  eternity,  can  it  be 
called  a real  good  ? Education  is  a great  blessing ; but 
suppose  that  our  teacJiing  leads  away  from  the  know- 
ledge of  God  and  of  Jesus  Christ,  whom  he  has  sent, 
will  not  the  intellectual  and  moral  cultivation  only 
make  the  recipients  more  susceptible  of  suffering  here- 
after, and  more  obnoxious  to  the  displeasure  of  a neg- 
lected God  and  Saviour  ? And  can  we  call  any  tiling 
tliat  does  that  a real  good  ? Or,  to  take  one  further 
illustration,  perhaps  the  strongest  that  I could  find,  the 
case  of  a mother’s  affection  for  her  beloved  child.  We 
cannot  overrate  its  importance,  and  the  greatness  of  the 
blessing.  Aow,  suppose  that  it  were  told  that  mother 
that  God  would  not  accept  any  care  which  she  might 
put  forth  for  the  salvation  of  her  child — that  nothing 
that  she  could  do  should  forward  its  eternal  welfare — 
that  the  better  she  fitted  her  child  for  this  world,  the 
more  probable  would  be  his  eternal,  unfitness — would 
slie  regard  her  care  as  a blessing?  AVould  she  not 


9 


ratlier  follow  the  example  of  the  heathen  mother,  and 
reply  as  she  did  when  reproved  for  destroying  her  in- 
fant daughter : Why  should  she  live  ? Her  life  will  he 
one  of  sorrow  and  suffering,  and  I have  only  done  unto 
her  as  I wish  my  mother  had  done  unto  me.  Yes,  my 
hearem,  the  greatest  eartldy  deprivation  with  which 
God  could  afflict  us  would  he  to  say,  concerning  our 
efforts  for  the  spiritual  good  of  others,  “ I have  no 
pleasure  in  you,  neither  will  I accept  an  offering  at 
your  hand.” 

2d.  The  truth  of  our  position  will  he  further  seen 
when  you  consider  that  such  a prohil)ition  would  ex- 
clude us  from  all  sympathy  with  the  plans  and  pur- 
poses of  God. 

The  only  object  of  real  interest  to  God  and  to  all  the 
heavenly  inhabitants,  as  far  as  has  been  revealed  to  us, 
is  the  spread  of  the  gospel  on  earth,  and  the  salvation 
of  the  souls  of  men.  The  Bible  invariably  speaks  of 
the  things  of  this  world  as  important  only  as  they  bear 
upon  this  subject.  The  fashion  of  the  world  it  declares 
is  passing  away,  and  soon  the  last  ray  of  its  glory  wdll 
rest  upon  the  bosom  of  that  dark  cloud  which  comes 
charged  with  its  final  doom.  But  earth  has  interests 
connected  with  the  councils  of  an  eternity  that  is  past, 
and  with  the  ages  of  an  eternity  to  come.  Over  the 
ruins  of  our  apostasy  the  thoughts  of  the  Son  of  God 
lingered  before  the  foundations  of  the  world  were  laid, 
or  the  heavens  stretched  abroad  as  a curtain.  Imme- 
diately on  the  fall  of  man,  he  interposed  his  mediation 
to  arrest  the  progress  of  the  cui'se,  and  to  bring  the 
apostate  race  under  a dispensation  of  mercy  which,  in 


10 


its  final  consummation,  will  realize  all  that  infinite  be- 
nevolence can  desire.  From  that  period  be  bas  gone 
forward  in  tbe  prosecution  of  bis  plans.  For  tbis,  tbe 
world  bas  been  upheld  in  existence ; empires  have  risen 
and  fallen ; nations  bave  dasbed  against  nations ; all 
bave  been,  under  bis  guidance,  made  to  tend  but  to  one 
grand  object.  God  tbe  Father,  in  bis  love,  bas  given 
bis  only-begotten  Son  to  suffer  and  die.  Jesus  bas  tra- 
versed our  earth  in  sorrow  and  'suffering — bas  died  on 
tbe  cross,  descended  to  tbe  grave,  risen  again,  ascended 
to  heaven,  is  seated  at  tbe  right  band  of  God,  and  bas 
all  power  in  heaven  and  earth  committed  to  bis  bands, 
with  tbe  view  of  accomplishing  tbe  great  purposes  of 
tbe  love  of  God  in  tbe  salvation  of  man.  For  tbis  ob- 
ject be  bas  interested  all  tbe  holy  angelic  throngs  which 
surround  bis  throne ; all  delight  in  being  ministering 
spirits,  sent  forth  to  ministe*’  unto  tbe  heirs  of  salvation. 
Over  every  sinner  who  turns  to  God  they  rejoice ; over 
every  saved  sinner  they  watch ; around  bis  dying-bed 
they  assemble,  form  bis  attendant  guard,  and  bear  bis 
ransomed  soul,  at  tbe  moment  of  death,  to  tbe  feet  of 
Jesus,  leaving  it  there  with  rejoicing  song.  Now,  sup- 
pose Jesus  should  say  to  us,  “ I will  not  allow  you  to 
aid  in  tbis  my  grand  and  glorious  and  loving  work ; 
from  you  I will  receive  no  aid,  no  sympathy ; you  shall 
not  join  in  tliese  plans  of  my  omnipotent  love ; you 
shall  not  bave  tbe  consolation  of  tbe  sympathy  of  yom* 
God.” 

Ob  ! horrible  supposition ! Wliat  Christian  would 
not  pray  with  anxious  entreaty,  “ O Lord  my  God, 


0 


11 

exclude  me  not  from  the  privilege  of  doing  something 
for  thy  cause  and  the  advance  of  thy  kingdom !” 

3d.  If  God  should  exclude  us  from  the  privilege  of 
aiding  in  the  spread  of  religion,  there  is  no  other  object 
on  earth  worth  li\dng  for.  I need  not  speak  to  this 
audience  of  the  transitory  and  fleeting  nature  of  all 
earthly  enjoyments  and  pleasures ; I need  not  dwell 
upon  their  inability  to  meet  the  wants  of  our  immortal 
nature,  or  to  sustain  in  the  hour  of  trials  and  affliction. 
Take  what  is  generally  considered  to  bring  with  it  the 
greatest  amount  of  earthly  happiness,  and  Avhich,  if 
properly  used,  may  be  truly  so  regarded — I speak  of 
wealth— and  yet,  if  you  will  estimate  all  the  toil,  the 
care,  the  anxiety,  the  responsibility  connected  with 
gathering  and  keeping  wealth,  and  then  add  all  the 
sicknesses  -and  pains  of  body  and  mind  which  belong  to 
life,  would  any  wise  man  desire  to  live  merely. for  the 
sake  of  wealth  ? Would  he  not  be  more  wise  to  prefer 
the  life  of  the  twittering  swallow?  Would  he  not  enjoy 
more  the  life  of  a petted  lap-dog  ? Yes,  my  hearers,  if 
we  cannot  be  allowed  to  enter  into  God’s  plans  and  pur- 
poses— if  eternity  be  not  added  to  man’s  existence — if 
he  have  no  object  above  and  beyond  this  life — life,  the 
life  of  a man,  in  this  world  of  sin,  sorrow  and  suffering, 
is  no  real  boon,  no  worthy  gift. 

4th.  That  a refusal,  on  the  part  of  God,  to  allow  us 
to  aid  in  the  spread  of  his  cause,  is  to  be  regarded  as 
the  greatest  mark  of  his  displeasure,  may  be, argued 
from  the  company  in  which  such  a decision  would  place 
us.  The  only  beings  thus  excluded,  of  whom  we  know 
any  thing,  are  Satan  and  the  fallen  angels.  To  them 


12 


God  has  given  no  heart  to  desire  the  advance  of  his 
kingdom.  True,  indeed,  he  will  make  all  their  oj^pos- 
ing  efforts  eventually  to  accomjilish  his  own  gracious 
purposes,  and  to  exalt  and  magnify  his  glory ; hut  this 
is  not  their  intention ; they  have  no  such  design.  God 
has  separated  them  from  himself  and  his  cause.  He 
has  said  to  them,  “ I will  receive  no  offering  from  your 
hands.” 

Were  God,  then,  to  make  a similar  declaration  con- 
cerning any  of  us,  it  would  he  treating  us  as  he  treats 
this  dark  and  disinherited  spirit ; it  would  he  placing 
us  in  spirit  already  with  the  Devil  and  his  angels,  and 
might,  therefore,  he  regarded  as  a foreshadowing  of  our 
future  doom.  Yes,  my  hearers,  the  man  who  has  no 
heart  to  give  his  prayers,  his  exertions,  and  his  contri- 
hutions  towards  the  spread  of  the  gospel,  is  to  he  truly 
pitied ; for  his  heart  is  no  angel  nature ; no  God-like 
spirit  belongs  to  him.  He  only  resemhles  Satan  and 
the  fallen  spirits.  And  is  not  that  a curse  ? May  God 
deliver  every  one  of  us  from  a heart  which  is  closed  to 
Christian  charity — a heart  which  could  wish  that  in  the 
present  state  of  the  world  the  calls  for  our  contrihutions 
should  he  less  frequent ! 

And  once  more:  We  should  deprecate  this  exclu- 
sion from  being  allowed  to  give  for  the  advance  of 
Christ’s  kingdom,  because  such  a deprivation  would  not 
only  deprive  of  present  joy,  hut  also  of  future  reward. 
It  would  deprive  us  of  one  of  the  greatest  and  purest 
enjoyments  which  is  now  allowed  us.  Tlie  Christian 
loves  God.  In  what  other  way  than  by  imitating  his 
God  can  he  express  his  feelings  of  gratitude  and  love  ? 


13 


“ My  goodness,”  says  David,  “ extends  not  to  thee,  O 
God,  but  to  thy  saints  on  earth.”  We  cannot  reach 
God  to  confer  any  thing  on  him.  The  cattle,  as  he  tells 
us — the  cattle  upon  a thousand  hills  are  his  already ; 
every  beast  of  the  forest  is  his  as  much  before  the  of- 
fering by  us  as  it  ■«'ould  be  after ; and  so  it  is  with 
every  thing  else.  Could  we  l)ring  all  the  gold  of  Cali- 
fornia’s mountains,  streams  and  plains — could  Ave  ran- 
sack the  heart  of  the  earth  for  all  its  treasures,  and 
sweep  the  heavens  for  their  jewelry,  to  make  an  offer- 
ing for  God,  it  would  be  God’s  own  which  Ave  avouUI  be 
giving  him.  lie  made  them  all,  and  gratitude  would 
feel  that  in  all  this  she  had  found  no  suitable  expression. 
Is  it  not,  then,  infinite  loA^e  for  God  to  come  to  us  in  our 
poverty,  and  say  to  ns  that  there  is  a rich  gift  which 
we  may  bestow  upon  him,  and  which  he  will  prize  ? Is 
it  not  a blessing  and  a joy  which  will  thrill  eA^ery  grate- 
ful heart,  to  know  that  God  aauII  prize  our  love,  and  Avill 
accept  its  efforts  to  recover  for  him  the  hearts  of  his 
rebellious  creatures — will  accept  them  as  testimonies  of 
our  gratitude  for  the  gift  of  his  Son,  and  the  blood- 
bought  pardon  Avhich  he  has  bestowed  upon  us  ? Yes, 
my  brethren,  this  is  the  great  source  of  Christian  enjoy- 
ment on  earth,  that  we  can  do  something  for  him  who 
died  for  us.  Could  you  have  conferred  a higher  joy  on 
the  apostle  Paul  than  to  make  him  a successful  minis- 
ter of  J esus  ? 

Will  you  not  fill  with  joy,  almost  too  much  for  earth, 
the  heart  of  the  Christian  missionary,  by  making  him 
instrumental  in  the  salvation  of  his  hearers  ? I spoke 
a while  since  of  the  sacrifices  and  the  early  death  of  the 


14 


female  missionaries — of  the  feelings  of  pity  I had  for 
them,  almost  leading  me  to  doubt  whether  they  did 
right  in  enduring  so  much.  Pity ! they  objects  of  pity ! 
Think  of  their  love  for  their  work ; think  that  they  felt 
that  all  this  was  for  Christ ; think  of  the  joy  of  know- 
ing that  they  had  consecrated  life,  health,  friends, 
houses  and  lands  for  Christ’s  sake  and  the  gospel,  and 
you  will  see  that  we  were  pitying  them  for  what  gave 
them  their  highest  earthly  felicity.  And  tell  me, 
could  you  give  a higher  joy  to  the  Christian  parent 
than  to  see  his  children  brought  to  Jesus  ? No,  breth- 
ren ; and  as  the  strongest  expression  of  our  Lord’s  love 
for  the  apostle  John  was  that,  while  hanging  on  the 
cross,  he  gave  to  him  the  care  of  his  mother,  so  the 
strongest  expression  of  his  love  to  us,  next  to  his  death 
on  the  cross  for  us,  is  in  these  words : “ Go,  my  people, 
and  preach  my  gospel and  the  highest  earthly  joy  is 
found  in  compliance  therewith. 

So  also  is  it  with  the  future  awards  of  the  eternal 
world.  Our  joy  in  heaven  will  indeed  be  the  reward 
of  grace,  free  grace ; but  still  we  are  informed  that  it 
will  be  according  to  our  works,  or  to  what  we  have 
done  for  Christ.  Our  Saviour,  in  that  exhibition  which 
he  gives  us  of  the  judgment-day,  tells  us  that  the  sen- 
tence is  in  these  words : “ Inasmuch  as  ye  did  it  unto 
one  of  these,  my  brethren,  ye  did  it  unto  me  and  he 
also  declares  tliat  a cup  of  cold  water  given  in  his  name 
will  not  fail  of  an  abundant  reward.  And  even  though 

O 

no  judicial  notice  should  be  taken  in  heaven  of  our 
deeds  of  love,  would  not  the  consciousness  that  we, 
while  on  earth,  devoted  life  and  thought  to  Him  who 


15 


sitteth  on  the  throne,  be  a reward  in  view  of  which  all 
earthly  honors  are  as  nothing  ? Will  not  the  mere  re- 
flection that  we  were  allowed  to  be  instruments  in  bring- 
ing one  single  ransomed  and  redeemed  spirit  to  join  in 
giving  the  glory  of  salvation  to  Jesus — that  we^  our- 
selves blood-bought,  have  been  allowed,  in  testimony  of 
our  gratitude,  to  attune  another  harp  to  swell  the  chorus 
of  the  everlasting  song,  be  a joy  unspeakable  and  full 
of  glory  ? Of  this,  be  it  remembered,  we  should  be 
deprived  were  we  not  allowed  to  aid  in  spreading  the 
kingdom  of  Christ  in  this  woifld.  All  such  pleasures 
would  be  denied  us  were  God,  in  his  wrath,  to  say,  “ I 
will  accept  no  offering  at  your  hands  ; I will  accomplish 
my  great  end  without  your  aid.” 

I have  yet  one  further  illustration  and  proof  of  the 
truth  of  this  position  which  I cannot  avoid  mentioning ; 
a proof  of  fact  most  clear  and  most  terrible. 

The  prediction  in  the  text  Jias  been  fulfilled;  the 
curse  here  pronounced  has  descended  on  Israel  as  a 
nation : an  offering  from  them,  as  the  people  of  God, 
has  been  now  for  eighteen  hundred  years  refused  ; and 
you  have  but  to  look  at  their  history  during  all  this 
period  to  see  what  is  the  result.  That  nation,  the  most 
honorable  of  all  the  nations  of  antiquity,  whose  founder 
was  that  Abraham  in  whom  all  the  nations  of  the  earth 
have  been  and  still  are  to  be  blessed — what  has  she 
done  for  man?  What  influence  has  she  exerted  for 
good  on  the  rest  of  the  world  ? Since  she  was  rejected 
of  God,  how  has  she  ceased  to  be  a blessing  from  the 
hour  in  which  God  said,  “ Henceforth  I accept  no  offer- 
ing at  your  hands !”  Then  were  her  defenses  gone ; 


• 16 


the  pagan  soldier,  with  the  clank  of  his  iron  heel,  trod 
her  streets  and  her  temple,  once  hallowed  by  angels’ 
tread,  and  by  the  footsteps  of  the  Son  of  God ; her 
people,  driven  from  their  land,  have  no  home,  but  are 
scattered  over  the  globe,  and  seem,  like  the  broken 
fragments  of  some  mighty  shipwreck,  strewed  on  every 
shore.  God  hath  not,  indeed,  taken  entirely  away  from 
them  his  revelation : they  have  the  portion  once  given 
them ; but  no  longer  to  them  are  committed  the  ora- 
cles of  God : they  have  not  the  volnme  complete ; they 
have  no  desire  or  power  to  spread  the  knowledge 
of  Jehovah’s  name ; their  presence  confers  no  blessing ; 
and  as  they  bestow  no  favors,  they  receive  none : they 
have  become  a hissing  and  a by-word,  a scorn  and  a 
reproach ; and  if  you  ask  the  reason  of  this,  you  can 
find  no  answer,  save  that  God  has  refused  to  accept  an 
offering  at  their  hands.  The  only  way  in  which,  as  a 
nation,  they  have  benefited  mankind,  is  by  standing  as 
a dread  beacon  proclaiming  God's  truth,  while  they 
themselves  receive  no  benefit  from  their  own  proclama- 
tion. Yes,  to  have  God  refuse  to  allow  us  to  spread 
the  gospel  of  Jesus  is  to  be  disowned  of  God  as  his 
people,  and  to  be  almost  disowned  of  man  as  belonging 
to  the  common  brotherhood.  How  different,  how  veiy 
different  would  have  been  the  history  of  the  Jews,  had 
not  this  curse  fallen  upon  them  I 

And  now,  brethren,  though  I have  had  time  only  to 
glance  at  these  varied  topics,  and  a wide  field  yet  re- 
mains un traversed,  have  I not  made  manifest  the  truth 
of  my  position,  that  the  greatest  curse  which  God  could 
inflict  in  this  life  upon  his  people  would  be  to  deny 


17 


them  tlie  pleasure  aud  tlie  privilege  of  advancing  his 
cause  and  kingdom?  AVe  have  seen  that  it  would  pre- 
vent us  from  conferring  upon  our  fellow-men  any  real 
blessing — that  it  would  exclude  us  from  all  sympathy 
with  the  plans  and  purposes  of  God,  making  us  enemies 
of  God  and  of  man — that  it  would  render  this  life  com- 
paratively worthless  and  aimless — that  it  would  place 
us  on  the  same  terrible  and  malevolent  platform  with 
Satan  and  the  fallen  angels — that  it  would  deprive  us 
of  much  present  joy  and  all  heavenly  rewards,  and 
« would  send  us  out  upon  the  world  like  the  Jews,  a dis- 
honored people,  on  whose  once  glorious  banners  Icha- 
bod  was  written. 

Yes,  truly  would  our  glory  be  departed  were  God  to 
refuse  our  missionary  offerings.  Think  for  a single 
moment  of  the  consequences  which  would  ensue  at  this 
moment  were  God  to  say,  in  his  wrath,  to  his  Church, 
“ I have  no  pleasure  in  you,  neither  will  I accept  an 
offering  at  your  hand.  Call  home  your  missionaries, 
close  your  churches ; I ask  no  song,  I will  hear  no 
prayer,  I will  bless  no  exertions.”  AVould  it  not  be  like 
forbidding  the  sun  to  rise  and  shine  upon  the  labors  of 
men  ? AA^ere  God  to  forbid  us  to  labor  for  the  support 
of  our  bodies,  the  human  family  would  perish ; and 
were  he  to  forbid  the  spiritual  efforts  of  his  Church,  his 
Church  would  die,  and  all  the  hopes  and  blessings  which 
she  brings  would  perish  with  her,  and  our  earth  become 
what  the  Bible  describes  hell  to  be— a place  whence  love, 
hope,  joy,  and  peace  have  departed  evermore. 

I close  with  one  or  two  suggested  thoughts. 

AVe  learn  from  this  subject  that  the  minister  of  the 
2 


18 


gos]5el  who  does  not  give  his  people  full  and  frequent 
opportunities  to  forward  the  cause  of  Christ  is,  in  fact, 
his  peojde’s  enemy,  and  robs  both  them  and  himself  of 
a great  blessing. 

2d.  We  learn  that  they  who  neglect  to  pray  for  the 
perishing  heathen  and  the  coming  of  Christ’s  kingdom, 
and  who  find  fault  with  the  multiplicity  of  the  calls 
made  on  their  benevolence  where  the  soul’s  salvation 
is  involved,  are  finding  fault  with  their  privileges,  are 
preferring  Barabbas  to  Christ,  and  refusing  one  of  the 
greatest  blessings  which  God  can  bestow. 

3d.  We  see  that  no  Christian  should  be  deterred 
from  aiding  in  the  advance  of  Christ’s  kingdom  by  the 
consideration  that  he  can  do  but  little  : that  little  is  too 
great  a privilege  to  be  despised,  even  though  it  may  be 
but  a cup  of  cold  water.  It  has  sometimes  been  asked 
when  contributions  are  being  made  for  the  kingdom  of 
Christ,  Shall  this  or  that  poor  man,  who  is,  perchance, 
himself  an  object  of  charity,  be  requested  to  give  of  his 
penury  ? I reply  in  the  light  of  our  theme : What  has 
he  done  that  he  should  be  deprived  of  this  privilege  ? 
Why  should  we  say  to  him,  “ God  will  not  accept  an 
offering  at  your  hands  ?” 

Suppose,  when  that  poor  lone  widow  of  whom  we 
read  in  the  gospel,  who  cast  into  the  treasury  of  the 
Lord  two  mites,  being  all  her  living — suppose  some 
kind-hearted  friend  had  met  lier  and  said,  “You  are 
too  poor  to  contribute,”  and  had  turned  her  away; 
would  it  have  been  a kind  act,  however  kindly  intend- 
ed ? Wiiat  an  injuiy  would  he  have  done  her ! Slie 
would  have  lost  the  Saviour’s  blessing  and  commenda- 


19 


tion — lost  her  honorable  place  in  the  Bible — lost  the 
untold  influence  of  her  example — lost  an  inestimable 
source  of  satisfaction  and  eternal  joy,  long  as  she  shall 
sit  yonder  at  her  Saviour’s  feet.  Yes,  those  two  mites 
ungiven  would  have  taken  a jewel  from  her  crown  of 
glory,  and  a note  of  joy  from  her  harp. 

And  lastly : If  the  Church  of  Christ  prize  not  as  she 
oimht  the  blessing  of  being  allowed  to  make  her  offer- 
ings  to  the  Lord,  may  not  our  offended  God  say  to  her 
now,  as  he  did  to  Israel,  “ I have  no  pleasure  in  yon, 
• neither  will  I accept  an  oflfering  at  your  hand  ?”  Israel 
fell  because  of  unbelief.  Bemember  that  we  stand 
only  by  faith.  It  is  possible — nay,  my  brethren,  if 
we  despise  our  mercies  and  neglect  our  privileges,  it  is 
certain  that  God  will  reject  us,  as  he  did  Israel  of  old : 
if  we  refuse  to  preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature,  God 
will  take  from  us  the  privilege,  and  bestow  it  upon 
others. 


REPORT  OF  THE  SECRETARY. 


Wb  chronicle  to  night  the  passage  of  the  twenty-sixth  year  of  the  history  of 
the  Foreign  Missionary  Society  of  New-York  and  Brooklyn.  By  the  good 
hand  of  God  upon  us,  none  of  the  officers  of  the  Society  have  been  removed  by 
death.  The  usual  monthly  meetings  at  the  Tract  House  have  been  held,  with 
no  abatement  of  interest.  The  Directors  of  the  Society  have  been  active  and 
successful  in  obtaining  and  distributing  missionary  intelligence;  and  efforts 
have  been  constantly  made  to  increase  the  zeal  of  the  churches  and  of  indi- 
vidual Christians  in  the  divine  work  it  has  undertaken. 

By  the  Treasurer’s  Report  we  learn  that  the  contributions  of  the  several 
churches  have  reached  the  sum  of  twenty-three  thousand  dollars.  It  is  not  a 
little  encouraging  to  remark  the  increase  from  year  to  year  since  1849.  In  the 
year  1850  the  amount  in  round  numbers  was  $14,200;  in  1851,  $16,300;  in 
1852,  $18,100;  this  year  about  $23,000 — an  increase  during  the  past  year  of 
nearly  $5,000.  It  is  our  pleasure  also  to  record  the  success  of  the  Society  in 
securing  the  appointment  of  a full  Secretary  of  the  American  Board  to  reside  and 
labor  among  us.  This  was  deemed  essential  to  the  prosperity  of  the  cause  of 
missions  in  our  churches.  The  fact,  that  during  the  years  subsequent  to  the 
decease  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Armstrong,  the  receipts  of  this  Society  made  no  relative 
advance  whatever,  while  those  of  kindred  institutions  were  increased  from  twenty 
to  eighty  per  cent  in  the  same  field,  was  urged  before  the  Board, and  afterwards 
before  the  Special  Committee  to  whom  the  matter  was  referred,  as  one  of  com- 
manding importance  in  its  bearings  upon  this  appointment  Besides,  the 
peculiar  advantages  and  difficulties  of  this  field — the' immense  resources  of  the 
churches,  so  imperfectly  developed  — the  prospective  and  almost  indefinite 
enlargement  of  Christian  power  in  this  emporium  of  commerce  and  capital  city 
of  our  land — the  existence  and  full  representation  among  us  of  Benevolent 
Societies,  whose  spirit  so  animates  and  blesses  the  churches — the  fact  that  we 
had  once  enjoyed  the  services  of  a Corresponding  Secretary  of  sacred  and 
precious  memory — these  and  other  like  considerations  were  the  basis  of  an 
appeal  to  the  Parent  Society  for  the  appointment  of  another  whose  official 
position  and  confidential  relations  to  the  Prudential  Committee  would  give  him 
every  advantage  in  his  labors  among  our  churches.  Tlie  Board  yielded  to 
our  wishes,  and  appointed  a person.  Rev.  George  W.  "Wood,  of  the  Fourth 
Presbytery,  New-York,  to  occupy  this  post  peculiarly  prepared  in  Provi- 
dence for  it.  It  would  be  out  of  place  here  to  speak  of  those  mental  and 
Christian  qualities  which  commend  him  to  our  esteem  and  sympathy.  But 
there  are  one  or  two  things  which  can  be  mentioned,  and  which  ought  to  be 


22 


known.  He  has  for  many  years  labored  with  honor  and  success  in  the  mis- 
sionary cause,  and  was  about  to  return  to  his  place — temporarily  vacated  on 
account  of  the  illness  of  his  wife — when  the  Board  retained  him  in  this  country 
to  occupy  this  position.  We  have  thus  a guaranty  in  regard  to  his  spirit — his 
love  for  the  came  of  missions.  We  may  be  assured  that  his  mind  and  heart  are 
imbued,  enlarged,  and  quickened  by  no  ordinary  zeal  for  the  work.  Then,  too, 
his  sphere  of  labor  abroad  was  at  the  centre  and  capital  of  the  most  interesting 
and  promising  missionary  operations  on  the  face  of  the  earth — I refer  to  the 
Armenian  missions : no  other  section  of  the  heathen  world  embraces  so  many 
and  such  thrilling  elements  of  success.  To  no  other  are  the  thoughts,  and 
prayers,  and  hopes  of  the  American  Board  so  earnestly  directed.  Our  Secre- 
tary has  lived  and  labored  on  that  field.  Its  geography — the  character  of  its 
social  and  civil  institutions — the  capabilities  of  its  population — its  relations  to 
Asia  on  the  one  hand,  and  to  Europe  on  the  other — the  character,  localities, 
and  prospects  of  the  missionaries  now  employed  on  that  territory,  are  known 
to  him  as  they  could  not  be  known  by  any  mind,  however  gifted  and  compre- 
hensive, who  had  not  enjoyed  the  same  advantages.  These  are  circumstances 
which  give  a special  interest  to  the  appointment ; and  the  Society  would  cor- 
dially introduce  and  commend  him  to  the  sympathies  and  support  of  the 
churches.  He  comes  as  a stranger  to  us.  Ilis  long  residence  in  Constantinople, 
while  it  has  so  emineirtly  qualified  him  for  the  oflice,  has  also  imposed  the 
obligation  upon  us  to  open  wide  our  hearts, 'and  houses,  and  churches  to  him,  to 
endeavor  to  make  his  difficult  labors  among  us  the  more  pleasant  and  cheerful 
and  successful. 

As  this  Report  is  printed  and  circulated  with  the  annual  sermon,  and  reaches 
nearly  every  family  connected  with  the  chm-ches  represented  in  the  Societyi 
the  Directors  would  take  this  opportunity  of  suggesting  two  or  three  subjects 
of  practical  duty  to  the  churches  and  ministers  they  represent: 

(1.)  The  first  relates  to  a more  general  and  united  system  in  the  churches, 
both  as  to  the  mode  and  time  of  taking  up  collections.  It  is  exceedingly 
important,  not  only  that  there  should  be  a regular  and  thorough,  but  a simulta- 
neous effort  in  all  the  churches;  and  Mr.  Wood  is  about  to  undertake  to  secure 
such  an  arrangement.  We  trust  that  in  this  attempt  he  will  have  the  hearty 
and  intelligent  cooperation  of  all  the  pastors  and  officers  in  the  churches.  In  a 
circular  letter,  issued  eighteen  months  ago,  and  extensively  distributed,  we  used 
the  following  language  on  this  general  subject,  Avhich  has  lost  none  of  its  signi- 
ficance since  that  time : “A  system  of  contributions  in  each  church  which  shall 
operate  universally  and  steadily;  which  shall  search  out  all  the  members,  and 
create  an  interest  and  a sense  of  responsbility  in  all ; which  shall  honor  the 
offering  of  the  poorest  as  well  ns  that  of  the  richest;  such  a system,  we  feel,  is 
absolutely  essential  to  the  future  success  and  progress  of  the  American  Board. 
If  this  institution  is  to  be  what  the  inward  w'itness  of  the  Spirit  of  God  in 
every  Christian  declares  it  ought  to  be ; if  it  is  to  occupy  fields  that  are  now 


23 


open  and  ripe  for  the  harvest,  and  which,  unless  occupied,  will  be  found  to  have 
been  open  to  the  ingress  of  infidelity  and  athe'sm,  there  must  be  a marked  and 
prompt  improvement  in  the  spirit  and  offerings  of  the  churches  it  represents. 
And  in  what  part  of  the  land  should  such  an  improvement  be  commenced 
sooner  than  in  this  ? The  example  of  what  locality  would  tell  more  beneficially 
upon  the  country  than  that  in  which  this  Association  is  planted  f’ 

(2.)  The  second  relates  to  the  monthly  concert  for  prayer.  Wliile  it  is  the 
common  testimony  of  those  who  statedly  attend  it,  that  no  service  of  the 
Church  is  more  useful  and  blessed,  the  lamentable  fact  remains  that  there  is 
none  in  which  the  Church,  as  a body,  has  less  real  interest.  There  is  something 
wanting  in  regard  to  it  It  is  earnestly  hoped  that  this  meeting  will  receive  the 
special  attention  of  the  pastors,  and  that  whatever  can  bo  done  to  enlist  the 
pra}'er3  and  sympathies  of  the  members  of  the  churches  will  be  done.  The 
future  vigor  and  enlargement  of  the  Board  in  no  small  degree  is  dependent 
upon  an  improvement  in  the  attendance  upon  the  monthly  concert  for  prayer. 

(3.)  The  other  subject  has  reference  to  the  meeting  for  prayer  in  the  afternooif 
of  the  first  Monday  of  every  montli.  It  is  not  designed  that  this  should  be  in 
any  degree  a substitute  for  the  concert  of  the  evening.  On  the  other  hand,  its 
object  is  to  subserve  and  magnify  this  latter.  The  latest  intelligence  from  all 
parts  of  the  missionary  world  is  received  by  the  Secretary  from  the  Missionary 
House  in  Boston,  and  communicated  at  that  meeting  for  the  benefit  of  the  eve- 
ning services.  And  its  principal  end  is  secured  when  each  church  has  its  repre* 
sentative  there,  who  shall  report  its  details  at  the  monthly  concert.  AVe  hope 
that  such  churches  as  have  not  ertjoyed  the  benefits  of  this  meeting  will  no 
longer  be  deprived  of  the  pleasure  and  profit  they  might  thus  receive. 

We  enter  upon  another  year  with  thanksgiving  for  the  Divine  blessings  in  that 
which  has  passed,  and  with  good  hope  for  the  future.  The  friends  of  the  noble 
institution  we  represent  should  see  eye  to  eye,  and  be  one  in  spirit — one  in 
purpose.  There  are  those  that  augur  ill  for  the  growth  and  augmenting  power 
of  the  American  Board.  It  becomes  us  to  use  every  proper  exertion  to  cement 
the  union  of  the  various  denominations  which  cooperate  in  this  grandest 
national  exemplification  of  the  Christian  religion  in  our  country  or  in  the  world. 
The  Word  of  God  bids  us  go  forward  in  this  missionary  work;  and  we  verily 
believe  that  firm  union,  and  an  active  Christian,  unsectarian  spirit  on  the  part 
of  the  lovers  of  this  institution,  will  do  more  to  eommand  the  Divine  blessing 
and  avert  the  anticipated  evils  than  perhaps  any  thing  else.  Thus,  the  clouds 
that  appear  on  the  horizon  will  prove  to  be  not  storm-clouds  of  the  Divine 
displeasure,  to  alarm'  and  dishearten  us,  but  rather  symbols  of  success — the 
chariots  of  the  Lord,  designed  for  the  overthrow,  not  of  this  most  beneficent 
Institution,  but  of  the  enemies  of  His  Son. 

THOMAS  H.  SKI^"^^ER,  Jk., 


COERESPONDIXG  SECRETARY. 


24 


THE  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY  OF  NEW-YORK  AND  BROOKLYN 


In  account  current  with  their  Treasurer^  Almon  Merwin. 


From  By  Cash,  from  the  followinpf  sources: 


Cr. 


1852, 
to 

[arcli  3 

1853. 


Bleecker  street 


Church  of  th?  Puritans, 


$100. 


Eleventh  “ “ 

Fourteenth  street  Presb.  Ch.,  of  'which  for  the  debt 

$400 

Harlem  Presbyterian  Church 

Houston  street  “ 

Mercer  street  Presb.  Ch.,  of  which  for  the  debt  $2, 350. 
Madison  Avenue  Presb.  Ch.,  of  which  for  the  debt 

$100 

Madison  Square  Presbyterian  Church 

Manhattanville  “ “ 

North  “ “ 

Pearl  street  “ “ 

Presb.  Ch.  on  University  Place,  of  which  for  the  debt 

$400 

Presb.  Ch.,  cor.  Fifth  Avenue  and  19th  street 

Seventh  Presbyterian  Church 

Spring  street  “ “ 

Tenth  “ “ 

Thirteenth  st.  “ “ 

West  “ “ 

Sundry  donations  in  New-York  and  TBrooklyn,  of 


Bridge  street  “ “ “ 

Central  Presbyterian  “ “ 

Cliurch  of  the  Pilgrims,  of  which  for  the  debt  $700, 
Clinton  Avenue  Cong.  Ch.,  of  which  for  the  debt.$250. 


Plvmouth 


First  Presbyterian  Cliurch  of  Williamsburg,  L.  I. 


$137 

07 

781 

00 

911 

88 

284 

24 

1,016 

82 

454 

60 

31 

67 

25 

00 

109 

34 

997 

3fi 

53 

47 

19 

60 

6,726 

86 

100 

00 

60 

00 

6 

44 

30 

00 

257 

67 

850 

00 

70 

00 

190 

63 

128 

17 

112 

45 

39 

34 

368 

59 

1,363 

36 

15 

10 

80  00 

11 

38 

2,420 

21 

351 

31 

935 

87 

60 

00 

303 

12 

2,476 

94 

16 

62 

942 

18 

111 

VO 

16,116  18 


7,724  33 
72  00 


$22,911  61 


25 


Dr. 

From  To  Cash  Paid  for  600  Lithographic  Circulars $17  60 

April  1,  “ “ SOOO  copies  Dr.  Smith's  Sermon,  127  00 

1862,  144  60 

to  To  Cash  entered  iu  my  account  at  sundry  times 

March  81,  with  H.  Uill,  Treasurer  of  the  A.  B.  C.  F.  M. . 22,767  01 

1863.  

$22,911  61 

E.  A O.  E.,  

Nkw-Yobx,  March  81, 1863. 

A.  Merwin,  Treasurer. 

• 

Examined  and  found  correct. 

O.  E.  Wood,  ) . 

Waltxb  S.  Gbifkith,  [ 


Of  which  from  New-Tork  for  the  debt $4,460  00 

" “ Brooklyn,  “ “ 2,400  00 


$6,860,000 


26 


RECEIPTS  OP  THE  SOCIETY. 

The  following  statement  exhibits  the  receipts  of  the  Foreign  Missionary  Society 
of  New-York  and  Brooklyn,  from  its  organization  in  1827  to  April,  1850  : 

From  1827  to  April,  1836,  (nine  years,) $86,931  28 

For  the  year  ending  April,  1837 19,068  72 

“ “ “ 1838 11,195  53 

“ “ March,  1839 12,433  07 

“ “ April,  1840 10,131  33 

“ • “ March.  1841 11,721  17 

“ “ April,  1842 15,937  73 

“ “ “ 1843  10,432  42 

" “ “ 1844 14,018  10 

“ “ “ 1845 11,974  88 

“ “ “ 1846 10,426  10 

“ “ March,  1847 9,867  69 

“ “ 1848 11,834  70 

“ “ April,  1849 19,636  66 

“ “ “ 1850 14,217  58 


Total  in  twenty-three  years 


$269,725  76 


RECEIPTS  FOR  TRE  YEARS  1851,  1852,  1853, 


Allen  street  Presbyterian  Church,  New-York 
Bleecker  street  “ “ 

Brainerd  “ " 

Brick  “ “ 

Broadway  Tabernacle,  Cong;.  Ch., 

Central  Presbyterian  Church, 

Church  of  the  Puritans,  Cons;., 

Dunne  street  Presbyterian  Church, 

Eastern  Congregational  “ 

Eighth  Avenue  Presbyterian  “ 

Eleventh  “ “ 

Hammond  street  Cong.  “ 

Fourteenth  street  Presb.  “ 

Harlem  “ “ 

Houston  street  “ " 

Mercer  street  “ “ 

Madison  Avenue  “ “ 

Madison  Square  “ “ 

Manhattauville  “ “ 

North  “ “ 

Pearl  street  " “ 

Presb.  Church  on  University  Place, 

Presb.  Ch  , cor.  Fifth  Av.  <fc  19th  st.. 

Seventh  Presbyterian  Church, 

Sixth  street 
Spring  street 
Tenth 

Thirteenth  street 
West 


Bedford  Congregational  Church,  Brooklyn 
Bridge  street  “ “ “ 

Central  Presbyterian  “ “ 

Church  of  the  Pilgrims,  Cong.,  “ 

Clinton  Avenue,  “ “ 

First  Presbyterian  Church,  “ 

Fulton  Avenue  Cong.  “ “ 

Plymouth  “ “ “ 

South  Presbyterian  “ “ 

Second  “ “ “ 

South  Congregational  “ “ 

Third  Presbyterian  “ “ 


Sundry  donations  in  New-Tork  and  Brooklyn. 

First  Presbyterian  Church,  Williamsburg 

Total 


Year  ending 

Year  ending 

Year  ending 
March  3!, 

Aprit  13, 

March  31, 

ItUl. 

1852. 

1853. 

$161  n 

$129  Of 

$137  07 

890  22 

876  OC 

781  00 

176  71 

101  3C 

— 

666  75 

933  14 

911  88 

*265  45 

268  01 

284  24 

9()3  22 

687  40 

1,016  82 

851  66 

1,252  27 

154  60 

20  00 

— 

17  67 

19  09 

31  67 

— 

25  Of 

25  00 

78  36 

88  85 

109  34 

5 00 

— 

— 

— 

469  73 

997  38 

31  00 

76  6f 

63  47 

98  56 

25  60 

19  60 

8,149  95 

6,139  11 

6,726  86 

— 

100  00 

100  00 

— 

— 

60  00 

— 

— 

6 44 

19  62 

— 

30  OO 

257  20 

174  74 

257  67 

393  00 

250  00 

850  00 

— 

— 

70  00 

287  18 

203  77 

190  63 

347  90 

— 

— 

198  27 

81  76 

128  17 

366  40 

293  65 

112  45 

05  95 

38  06 

39  34 

496  20 

406  60 

368  59 

$9,743  33 

$11,628  64 

$13,751  82 

12  44 

11  39 

15  10 

146  11 

123  68 

80  00 

— 

17  12 

11  38 

1,655  73 

2,065  23 

2,420  21 

27  00 

40  00 

351  31 

751  45 

830  58 

935  87 

— 

45  00 

60  00 

493  28 

452  46 

303  12 

1,036  12 
821  18 

1,219  32 

2,476  94 

456  28 

942  18 

— 

— 

16  52 

100  00 

138  63 

111  70 

§5.043  31 

1 

$5,399  69 

$7,724  33 

$1,526  24 

$1,012  74 

$1,363  36 

$40  00 

$68  75 

$72  00 

$16,352  88| 

$18,109  82 

$22,911  51 

LIST  OF  OFFICEUS 


FOR  THE  YEAR  1853. 


PEESIDENT. 

JASPER  CORNING. 

vice-peeside:^T8. 


ANSON  G.  PHELPS,  ’ JOHN  RANKIN, 

CHARLES  J.  STEDMAN,  DAVID  HOADLEY. 


COKRESPOyOIXG  SECRETARY, 

Rev.  THOMAS  H.  SKINNER,  Jr. 


RECORDINC  SECRETARY. 

ALMON  MERWIN. 


TREASURER. 

ALMON  MERWIN. 


DIRECTORS. 


Allen  Street  Presbyterian  Church, 
Bleecker  Street  “ “ 

Fourteenth  Street  “ “ 

Brick  “ “ 

Broadway  Tabernacle  “ 

Central  Presbyterian  “ 

Church  of  the  Puritans, 

Eastern  Congregational  “ 

Eighth  Avenue  Presbyterian  “ 
Eleventh  “ “ 

Fifth  Av.  cfc  Nineteenth  St.  Pr.  Ch., 
Harlem  Presbyterian  Church, 
Uoust'vn  Street  Presbyterian  Church, 
Mercer  Strict  “ “ 

Madison  Sq  tare  “ 


.M.  T.  Hevit,  Edward  C.  Chapin. 
.Charles  Gocld,  Edward  Chester. 

.W.  K Dodge,  J.  F.  Jot. 

. A.  L.  Ely,  C.  H.  LIerrt. 

.AV.  G.  AA^est,  Israel  Minor. 

.W.  P.  Cook,  Samuel  AA'’.  Stebbins. 

.0.  K AVood,  IL  0.  PiNSEo. 

.Stephen  Cutter,  Lewis  Chichester. 
.Henry  D.  Crane,  R.  R.  Wood. 

.J.  E.  Marshall,  K B.  Littell. 

.AVm.  G.  Lambert,  James  M.  Halsted. 

, .E.  Ketciium,  James  Riker,  Jr. 

. .S.  Dkrrickson,  David  Stevens. 

.Anson  G.  Phelps,  Jr.,  AV.  W.  Chester. 
, .F.  Bull,  A.  0.  Van  Lennep._ 


North  Presbyterian  Church, 

Presb.  Church,  University  Place, 
Seventh  Presbyterian  Church, 
Spring  Street  “ “ 

Thirteenth  Street  Presb.  Church, 
West 

Bedford  Cong.  Church,  Brooklyn, 
Bridge  st.  “ “ 

Central  Presb. 

Clinton  Av.  Cong.  “ “ 

Church  of  the  Pilgrims,  “ 

First  Presbyterian  Church,  “ 
Plymouth  Cong.  “ “ 

Second  Presbyterian  “ “ 

South  “ “ “ 

South  Cong.  “ “ 

Third  Presbyterian  “ “ 

Fulton  Av.  Cong.  “ “ 

First  Presb.  Church,  Williamsburg, 
First  Cong.  " “ 


. . .0.  II.  Lee,  James  Reeve. 

. . .W.  W.  Stone,  J.  K.  Myers. 

. . .Charles  Merrill,  II.  B..Littell. 

. . .Joseph  S.  Holt,  Wm.  Demerest. 

. . .J.\o.  C.  IIiNEs,  Dan.  Knight. 

. . .Lewis  E.  Jackson,  Benj.  Salter. 

. . .D.  0.  Caulki.ns,  Edward  T.  Goodalu 
, . .Wm.  Vail,  Clark  Jacobs. 

Charles  C.  Mudge,  D.  J.  Ledyard. 

. . .S.  Davenport,  James  W.  Raynor. 

. . .Alfred  S.  Barnes,  Ciias.  P.  Baldwin. 

. . .R.  J.  Thorne,  IIenry  Redfield. 

. . . J.  Tasker  Howard,  II.  C.  Bowen. 

. . .Charles  Clarke,  Lucius  Hopkins. 

. . .Walter  S.  Griffith,  Jno.  Milton  Smith. 
. . .S.  W.  Grant,  Solomon  Freeman. 

. . .W.  W.  Hurlblt,  Jno.  C.  Halsey,  M.D. 

. . .F.  W.  Burke,  Alfred  Smithers. 

Wm.  Hammill,  J.  W.  Buckley. 


